Mary will still be grieving when ‘Downton Abbey’ returns — but could a new romance be on the horizon?

No one has ever described Downton Abbey‘s Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) as a ball of sunshine, but when the show returns for its fourth season, she’ll have a few new clouds looming overhead. “She is still very much in mourning at the beginning of the show,” creator Julian Fellowes tells xfinityTV. “One of the strands of the new [season], in a way, is her learning to rejoin the land of the living.”

Julian is, of course, referring to Mary losing husband — and new father — Matthew (Dan Stevens) in a car accident at the end of season three. Michelle adds that we can expect to see Mary “miserable again” very soon.

“She invested so much in that relationship with Matthew,” she explains. “[His death] was shocking. She is still grieving.”

As for Mary replacing Matthew with a new suitor — actors Tom Cullen and Julian Ovenden are both joining the cast — executive producer Gareth Neame is keeping quiet:

“You’ll have to watch!”

More ‘Downton Abbey’ Season 4 Spoilers

But while EP Gareth isn’t willing to blab about Downton‘s future, one member of the cast is dropping spoilers left and right:

For starters, O’Brien’s replacement — Siobhan Finneran decided not to return for season four — will share a history with Thomas (Rob James-Collier). “He, obviously, has some kind of hold on her,” Rob teases, “but what that is, who knows?”

Additionally, one of the show’s power couples — Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and Bates (Brendan Coyle) — will have a “brief period of happiness,” followed by a “roller coaster.”

Downton Abbey‘s fourth season premieres Jan. 5 in the U.S.

HollywoodLifers, what would YOU like to see happen in season four? Should Mary immediately look for a new love, or try to make it on her own? Drop a comment with your hopes and predictions.